Caramel Apple Scones

posted by Lori Lange

Caramel apples aren’t a big deal in my house for a few very-good-reasons. Personally, I can’t seem to get behind the idea that biting into a round and sticky surface is somehow going to work out all right. My son isn’t allowed to bite into anything hard with his front teeth since he knocked part of his tooth out with a baseball bat last year. The caramel would latch onto that temporary tooth and suck it right out of his mouth. And my husband just isn’t into getting messy at all. I had to compromise with a fall caramel apple treat that would please everyone in my house: Caramel Apple Scones

They are a tender scone flanked with fresh cinnamon apples, and there’s a caramel icing drizzled generously on top.

This is the first of a series of seasonal baking recipes that I’m creating with Gold Medal Flour. I have so many fun ideas in the works! Here’s all you need for this recipe. And here’s how you make them:

First things first: prepare the apples. Cook them in a little butter until they are softened, mix in cinnamon, and let them cool.

On a floured surface, form the scone dough roughly into a 14 x 4-inch flattened log. Use a sharp knife to cut triangles (you’ll get 11 or 12).

Gently pull the triangles apart and set them on a silpat or parchment-lined baking sheet in the same shape, leaving about 1/2-inch between scones. When they bake, they’ll have some room to spread and crowd into each other, as pictured.

After cooling for a few minutes, use a knife to coax them apart and move them to a rack over a baking sheet.

Next: make the caramel icing. Melt butter, add brown sugar and milk. Stir, then transfer to a bowl. Add vanilla and powdered sugar, and beat with an electric mixer until it turns creamy.

Drizzle the caramel icing onto the warm scones. As much or as little as you want.

I went for “much” drizzle, of course.

And then you can enjoy them for breakfast… with coffee or tea or hot chocolate. Revel in the fact that you can eat them without getting a face full of sticky caramel and apple juices dripping down your chin, unless you like that sort of thing.

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line a baking sheet with a silpat mat or parchment paper.

2. Prepare the apples: Melt the butter in a small saucepan over medium heat. Add the apples- stir and cook for 4 to 5 minutes, or until apples are softened. Stir in the cinnamon and set the apples aside to cool (or to speed up the cooling process, remove them from the heated pan and into a bowl).

3. Prepare the scone dough: In the bowl of a mixer, mix together the flour, sugar, baking powder, and baking soda. Add the butter and mix again until coarse crumbs form (you can also do this step in a food processor). Stir in the yogurt and apples until the dough comes together (it will be dry, so you may need to eventually use your hands). Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and form roughly a 14 x 4-inch flattened log. Use a sharp knife to cut triangle-shaped scones (11 or 12). Gently pull the triangles apart and set them on your prepared baking sheet in the same rectangular shape, leaving about 1/2-inch between scones. When they bake, they'll have some room to spread and crowd into each other.

4. Bake the scones: Bake for 15 to 18 minutes, or until they are cooked through and no longer doughy in the middle. Let the scones cool for a few minutes, then gently coax them apart with a knife and move them to a rack over a baking sheet.

5. Ice the scones: In small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Stir in brown sugar and milk. Cook over medium-low heat for 1 minute. Transfer to a mixing bowl and cool the mixture slightly. Stir in the vanilla and 1/2 cup powdered sugar. Beat with an electric mixer until well blended. If necessary, add up to 1/4 cup more powdered sugar for desired consistency. Drizzle icing over warm scones.

Tips:

*These scones are best eaten the day they're made, but they're perfectly good eaten the next day too (keep them in a covered container).
*If you'd like to make these the night before, that's totally okay- keep them in a covered container. But add the icing in the morning, just before serving.
*For creamy Greek yogurt, I like to use Oikos or Voskos.

Source: RecipeGirl.com

Disclosure: I’m working with Gold Medal Flour to create seasonal recipes for the next few months. This is one of those goodies.

Those scones look fabulous, but it’s the glaze I really want:-) Would it be bad to make it and “forget” to drizzle it on the scones?

postedSep 17, 2012 7:35 AM

Janelle

Thanks, Lori! I saw these on your Instagram and wondered what flavor they’d be. My all-time favorite fall thing to bake is your Caramel Apple Bars. These sound like an awesome breakfast version. I might sprinkle a light combination of oats and pecans on top.

they look amazing and your whole intro about biting into something hard and sticky (and sorry about his tooth!!) and that all that stickiness just cannot end well – I agree! And love the idea of your scones as a compromise. Great glaze, too!

I’ll take one of these over a candy apple any day! Great fall recipe, especially with that drizzle!

postedSep 17, 2012 4:38 PM

Joanie from CLBB

Those photos are gorgeous! Gonna have to try this with white whole wheat flour very soon (and with some cinnamon in that drizzle, yum). Baking is back in the kitchen now that our NC temps are way down! I’m not a fan of caramel apples either, too awkward to nibble and I have jaw issues that don’t need that stress! Thanks, Lori

I wish I could bite into caramel apples – but after nearly a decades’ worth of orthodontia in elementary and middle school – the last thing I’m going to do is risk ruinging it by a rogue apple! THESE though – I would savor ever single crumb. Beautiful Lori. I’ve been hankering scones lately. Fab.

postedSep 18, 2012 2:38 AM

Martha Botes

I just love to try this recipe but which kind of apples do you use here in South Africa we get the Granny Smith- Golden delicious and some different Red Apples
Thank you for sharing all the delicious recipes with us

Thanks for the recipe – tried these out yesterday and they turned out amazing!

postedOct 9, 2012 2:30 PM

Cassandra

I just made these and they are delicious! Warm right out of the oven they are perfection!

postedOct 23, 2012 10:27 AM

MO

I had an Orange Cox apple sitting around and wanted to find something to do with it, so I gave this a shot! It turned out really delicious. I used plain, full-fat Greek yogurt (sadly that’s all they have here in Germany..).

These were great! I don’t use salted butter so I added some salt to the dough and it added just the right amount of saltiness. Look for my post of making these on November 9 on andreasgardencooking.com. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!

postedNov 11, 2012 4:33 PM

Erika Brown

I made these today and put it on pinterest. I didn’t put the carmel on top this time. It is delicious, soft inside and crunchy on the outside.I think next time I will add maple syrup or maple flavor to the mix.

postedNov 25, 2012 12:11 PM

lovelorirecipes

OMG, These look perfect. I asked my mom to go to the store to pick up some flour and greek yogurt for these scones. I am baking these tonight. Can’t wait to see how these will turn out.

postedDec 5, 2012 10:20 AM

Santrelle

These are SO amazing!! And, thanks for the incredible instructions (pics a definite plus!). I’ve never made scones before, but these turned out PERFECTLY! I did make these the day before my morning event, and even glazed them the night before, and I didn’t notice a need to “add the icing in the morning, just before serving.” They turned out so great!! Thanks again!

I made these last night and just ate one. OH MY, these are amazing. It was definitely the BEST SCONE I have ever eaten. I love the flavor and texture of these, they taste so light. Thank you for a truly wonderful recipe. I will be making these often.

postedMar 3, 2014 10:35 PM

Andrea

FABULOUS! These scones are delicious. I made them for a meeting, but unfortunately it was cancelled at the last minute. I took a chance and froze the batch (icing and all). 10 days later I defrosted and served them and everyone raved about them. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thank you.

postedAug 13, 2014 5:08 AM

Chloe Crabtree

This sounds like a fabulous recipe! I will be pinning this and adding it to my recipe file. I plan to share this on Monday on Celebrate and Decorate. Visitors will have to click over to your blog for the recipe, I hope it helps a lot of others discover your wonderful blog.

postedOct 7, 2014 3:50 PM

Crisanne

if these taste half as good as the batter they are a winner….we couldn’t stop “sampling” these as we shaped into scones!